Quenching device for horizontally moving articles



H. W. SECOR Nov. 4, 1952 QUENCHING DEVICE FOR HORIZONTALLY MOVING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 31, 1946 2/. OOOO/OOOO Inventor. Herbert W.Secor;

His Attorney.

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 QUENCIIING DEVICE FOR HORIZONTALLY MOVING ARTICLES Herbert W. Secor; Ballston Spa, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 31, 1946, Serial No. 694,235

6 Claims.

My invention relates to quenching devices, more particularly to devices for projecting a quenching fluid onto a heated article, and has for its object simple and reliable means for assuring a uniform and effective engagement of the fluid with the article. I

In the fluid quenching of continuously moving horizontal heated articles such as wire, rod or pipe, the fluid is conventionally applied in a series of radially directed jets surrounding the moving article, these jets furthermore being directed at an acute angle with the heated article in the direction of the path of movement of the article. This acute angle quenching is used to prevent flow of the quenching fluid back into contact with the portion of the article which is at that time being heated. I have found that a cooling liquid when thus applied at an acute angle has a tendency to bounce off or be deflected from the upper surface of the article with the result that the cooling action is not uniform around the article and the time of contact of the liquid with the upper surface of the article is not long enough to cool it effectively to the desired low temperature.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an additional series of apertures in the upper portion of the quenching device remote from the article for directing additional jets of cooling liquid on the-article in such manner and'position that they engage the liquid from the first set of jets before it is deflected from the article and thus redirect this liquid causing it to cling to the article whereby more effective utilization of the cooling fluid and uniform cooling are obtained.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a view in section of a quenching device embodying my invention taken along the line l-I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of the device shown in Fig. 1, Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing a modified form of my invention, while Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the quenching device.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in one form, as applied to the cooling and hardening of the surface of a tube i moving continuously in a predetermined horizontal path from the left to the right as indicated by the arrow 2. It will be understood that the tube moves through a suitable heating means such as a. high frequency induction heating coil (not shown) which progressively heats a surface layer of. a desired. thickness to a. predetermined harderh ing temperature, or to an annealing. tempera ture, such as for example stainless steel'which may be annealed by heating to about 1900degrees F. and then quenching.

For the purpose of quenching the tube I, I provide a cylindrical or ring-shaped container 3 having an inner wall 4 loosely surrounding the tube and through which the tube is moved. On the end of the container 3 which is trailing with respect to the direction of movement of the tube i I provide a cone-shaped re-entrant wall 5 surrounding the tube, which cone-shaped wall is provided with two concentric rows or series of quenching apertures 6 and 7 adjacent the tube. Each of the two rows or series of holes 6 and I is arranged in concentric relation with the member 3 and the tube, the two rows being spaced apart slightly and the holes being in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in the drawing, the cone-shaped wall '5 extends at an angle of substantially 45 degrees with respect to the tube and since the holes extend perpendicularly through the wall, jets of cooling fluid, such as water, are directed through the holes in a radial direction upon the tube I and at an angle of substantially 45 degrees with the surface lengthwise of the tube. It will be understood that water is supplied under a suitable pressure to the interior of the quenching device 3 through a suitable pipe connection 8.

I have found that when cooling water is directed against the surface of the tube through the series of holes 6 and 1 the water is deflected from the upper surface of the tube, Whereas the water directed against the lower surface of the tube clings to the surface. As a result the lower surface of the tube is cooled more effectively than the upper surface and, furthermore,.more uniformly than the upper surface which shows small areas of unequal quenching and hardening. Therefore, the surface not only is not hardened uniformly but the unequal quenching as betweenthe top and bottom sides causes warpins of the tube.

This deflecting tendency of the cooling water applied to the upper surface of the tube is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 in which jets of cooling water 9, and [9 are shown impinging against the upper surface of the tube This cooling water, however, is deflected from the surface at the point H before the cooling operation has been completed.

For the purpose of redirecting the cooling water from the holes 6 and I against the upper surface .of the tube and for thereby causing-it to cling to the upper surface for substantially the same length of time as the water clings to the lower surface of the tube, or at least until satisfactory cooling has been effected, I provide an auxiliary row or series of holes I 2 in the cone-shaped member adjacent its outer periphery and remote from the tube. This'row of holes [2 is separated from rows 6 and l by an imperforate wall portion and extends, preferably as shown in the drawing, over an arc of substantially 120 degrees, i. e., 60 degrees on each side of the vertical. The row of holes I2 is concentric with the other two rows 5 and l and is suitably spaced from the rows 6 and I to provide the desired cooling effect. When water is admitted through the pipe coupling to the interior of the quenching device at a suitable pressure, jets of water are directed through the holes l2 in parallel relation with the jets from the holes 6 and l and in such spaced relation with the jets from the holes 6 and I that the jets from the holes l2 strike the water from the jets 6 and I so as to prevent its deflection from the surface of the tube and redirect it against the surface. As indicated in Fig. 6, the jet l3 from the hole 42 strikes the water from the jets 9 and H) at the point I4 thereby to cause the water to cling to the surface for a longer period of time for more effective cooling of the surface.

I have found that the arrangement of the auxiliary holes l2 over an arc of substantially 120 degrees provides effective and uniform cooling of a tube, although the extent of the series of holes can be changed as desired. Apparently when a tube is being cooled if the series of holes I2. extends over an arc greater than substantially 120 degrees the jet of water at each end of the row of holes tend to force away from the surface of the tube the water applied through the lower holes 6 and 1 to the sides and lower surface of the tube.

For the purpose of providing a uniform supply of water to the holes in the member 5, i. e., a constant pressure of water supplied to all of the holes, I provide a ballle wall l5 in the quenching device which divides the quenching device into two annular chambers I6 and H. The baflle wall I5 is provided with a series of equally spaced apertures l8 around its periphery through which water is fed from the chamber l6 into the chamber I1 and thence to the jet holes. The aggregate area of the holes I8 is somewhat greater than the aggregate area of the quenching holes 6, I and I2. This arrangement, which is covered by my co-pending application Serial No. 704,946, filed October 22, 1946, for Quenching Device, is especially advantageous when the pressure of the quenching fluid supply is reduced for any reason and when the quenching is applied intermittently, as for a series of separate articles.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 jets of cooling water are directed only against the top and side surfaces of the upper flange of the I-shaped heated member I9. In this device a transversely aligned series of remote auxiliary holes 28 is provided for preventing deflection of the cooling water supplied by the transversely aligned series of holes 2| and 22 to the upper surface of the member l9 thereby to cause the water to cling to the upper surface for a longer period of time with more effective cooling. As shown, this quenching device has a triangular cross section, the water being supplied through a central pipe connection 23. 1 .While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A quenching device for an article having a substantially horizontal upper surface and moving along a predetermined substantially horizontal path comprising a container provided with at least one aperture adjacent said path for directing cooling fluid downward on said upper surface of the article at an acute angle with said path in the direction of movement of the article and with another aperture remote from said path for and separated from said one aperture by an imperforate wall portion for directing cooling fluid downward on said upper surface, said remote aperture being spaced from said first aperture by an amount such that the fluid from the remote aperture engages the fluid from said first aperture after the initial contact of the latter fluid with said upper surface and redirects it against the said upper surface of the article.

2. A quenching device for an article having a substantially horizontal upper surface and moving along a predetermined substantially horizontal path comprising a container provided with a wall extending at an acute angle with said path, said wall being provided with a transversely aligned series of apertures adjacent said path for directing jets of cooling water downward on said upper surface of the article at an acute angle with said path in the direction of movement of the article and with another transversely aligned series of apertures remote from said path and separated from the first said series of apertures by an imperforate wall portion for directing jets of cooling water in parallel relation with first jets so as to engage the water from first jets and redirect it against the surface of the article.

3. A quenching device for an article having a substantially horizontal upper surface and moving continuously along a predetermined substantially horizontal path comprising a container extending substantially around said path and provided with a wall extending at a moderate acute angle with said path, said wall being provided with a first series of apertures adjacent said path for directing jets of cooling water substantially radially toward said path and at an acute angle therewith in the direction of the movement of the article, the upper apertures of said series directing water downward on said upper surface, said wall being provided with an auxiliary series of apertures remote from said path and separated from said first series of apertures by an imperforate wall portion, said auxiliary series of apertures extending over a predetermined arc above said path for directing jets of cooling water downward on said upper surface in parallel relation with downwardly directed jets from a predetermined portion of said first series of apertures so as to engage the water therefrom after its initial contact with said upper surface of the article and redirect it against said upper surface.

4. A quenching device for an elongated article moving continuously along a predetermined substantially horizontal path, comprising a container extending over the top of said path and having portions on each side of said path, said container being provided with a re-entrant side wall extending at a substantially 45 degree angle with said path in a direction opposite the movement of the article and being provided with a series of apertures for directing jets of cooling water downward on the upper surface of the article and additional apertures for directing jets of cooling water on opposite sides of the article all at an angle of substantially 45 degrees with said path in the direction of movement of the article, said wall being provided with a second series of apertures a greater distance from said path than said first series of apertures and coextensive only with said first series of apertures for directing jets of cooling water downward on said upper surface in parallel relation with jets from said first series of apertures so as to engage the water from said first series of apertures as it is deflected from the article and redirect the water against the upper surface of the article.

5. A quenching device for an article having a substantially horizontal upper surface and moving along a predetermined substantially horizontal path comprising a container provided with a wall extending at an acute angle with said path, said wall being provided with at least one aperture adjacent said path for directing cooling fluid downward on said upper surface of the article at an acute angle with said path in the direction of movement of the article, and with at least one additional aperture remote from said path and separated from said one aperture by an imperforate wall portion for directing cooling fluid downward in substantially parallel relation with the fluid from said one aperture, said remote aperture being spaced from said one aperture by an amount such that the fluid from said additional aperture engages the fluid from said one aperture after the initial contact of the latter fluid with said upper surface and redirects it against said upper surface.

6. A quenching device for an article having a substantially horizontal upper surface and moving along a predetermined substantially horizontal path comprising a container provided with a wall extending at an acute angle with said path, said wall being provided with a series of apertures adjacent said path for directing cooling fluid downward on said upper surface of the article at an acute angle with said path in the direction of movement of the article, and with another series of apertures remote from said path and separated from said first series of apertures by an imperforate wall portion for directing cooling fluid downward on said upper surface in parallel relation with the fluid from the first series of apertures, said remote series of apertures being spaced from said first series of apertures by an amount such that the fluid from the remote apertures engages the fluid from said first series of apertures after the initia1 contact of the latter fluid with said upper surface and redirects it against said upper surface.

HERBERT W. SECOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 615,012 Britton Nov. 29, 1898 1,698,858 Smith Jan. 15, 1929 2,009,078 Ziska July 23, 1935 2,309,631 Denneen Feb. 2, 1943 2,329,188 Denneen et al Sept. 14, 1943 2,394,514 Evans et a1 Feb. 5, 1946 

